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Monday, August 8, 2016

Author Interview - Amit Sharma

After reading False Ceilings by Amit Sharma, I was overwhelmed with the story, the bizarre nature of the plot and the psyche of characters that he deeply dwells into. Supplemented with a "slowly reveal the puzzle pieces writing style" if one may simply describe it, the story is one not to leave you anytime and knock upon your thoughts many times, catch you unawares keep you wondering time and again. So I decided to pick his brain for he is certainly one of India's youngest and best writers to look upto. He was gracious enough to take out time for us and have this conversation:Q.Describe your journey into writing.

A: During the
initial years of my job, a friend introduced me to blogs. I was initially
terrified of the world as it allowed strangers to judge your work. I wrote
short stories on my blog that were well received but I knew writing a book was
a different ball game. The readers of the blog were very encouraging. Then I
went to Manchester for two years and had enough time on my hand to try writing
the book. I started writing believing that the book will never get published.

Q.What does writing mean to you?

A: For me, it is a
way to unwind. I believe that all of us should do at least one thing in our
life that we really love. Some people like to listen to music, some paint, some
go for long treks in the mountain and some play a musical instrument to unwind.
I write.

Q.How did the characters and the story of False Ceilings take form?

A: The story is
based on true events. The setting of the pre-independence era story of
Shakuntala and her marriage to Manu is largely based on the stories my grandma
told me of her life in Dalhousie. I have taken snippets from her life, like
when she saw an owl just before her father’s death.

Most of what
happened in Delhi from 1950 till 2002 is based on true facts and incidents. The
affection, friction, distrust and
malevolence that bind the six protagonists are real. That is one reason the
readers found the characters very believable because they were not a mere
figment of my imagination. They displayed shades just like a real flesh and
blood human, like they did in real life. The
story is much more about the revelation of the secret in the end. For me it was
about getting under the skin of this dysfunctional family, to present them as I
saw them in real life, to make their actions and thoughts believable and human.

Q.Your writing style is unique that of just
randomly throwing the pieces of puzzle
and then putting the together. How did you arrive at it?

A: Before I
started writing False Ceilings, I toyed with the options of writing it in a
linear or non-linear fashion. I concluded that the story would be more
interesting if written non-linearly. Also, I have a bit of a weak spot for the
technique. I think readers are going to see it in all my books (although not in
the complicated format I used in False Ceilings). I am going to use the technique
in my second and third book as well.

Q. Have you ever experienced a writer’s block or
difficulty in writing a plot or a character or an inevitable end? How did you
overcome it?

A: I haven’t experienced writers block till now. It is
probably because I do not write every day. Writing over the weekend gives me
enough time to ponder over my characters and plots and given me enough fodder
to work seamlessly over the weekend. Secondly, I do not start writing unless I
know the end. The storyline has to be chalked out on paper before I start
writing a book.

Q.How was the journey into publishing?

A: I had my share
of rejections (around fifteen) before the book was picked by Lifi. Even after that, it wasn’t a very smooth
journey. A writer needs to be very patient. The whole process is painstakingly
slow but the trick is to start thinking about your next and work on it. There
isn’t much an author can do once the book is out of his hands.

Q.Are you a methodical or a moody writer?

A: Methodical. I plan and prep for a book before I start
writing. There will be a few months of research depending on the theme of the
book and the era. Then I would work more on the characters and chapter
outlines. I refine the story till I am satisfied with the final outcome. It is
only after this that I start writing the book.

Q. How do you manage your day job and writing?

A: I write over the weekends. I usually wake up early in
the morning and write for 4-5 hours. I think it is good to have a day job with
your writing career as it allows you to be more creative and not succumb to the
demands of the market. Although it does get unbearable at times to wait for the
whole week to put the ideas rotating in my head to paper.

Q. Your favourite
writers?

A: I have enjoyed
works of Margeret Atwood, Haruki Murakami, Geroge R.R. Martin, Jeffery
Eugenides, Robert Jordan, Toni Morrison – to name a few. I would like to
believe that I do not have favorite authors. There are too many good books out
there to try to find favorites.

A: I believe in
the theory of Live and let live. I think an adult should be allowed to make his
or her decisions unless they are hurting someone physically. I find this world
a place that has been unnecessarily complicated by humans and do not understand what the fuss is all about.
Can’t we just sit under a tree beside a river and read a book and be happy?I do
not like manmade complications in life – based on religions, gender, pieces of
lands, skin color, love on any other variety.

Q. Your hobbies include?

A: I am a
voracious reader. I love watching world cinema (I am a huge fan of South Korean
movies). I like to cook and bake at times (when the weather permits) and treat
my family with cakes and muffins. I love to travel preferably to places where
there is bearable quantity of human
population. Sometimes, I play Asphalt 8 like a maniac till my wife threatens to
delete the game from my laptop. I also like to listen to the incessant blabber
of my three-year-old daughter.

Q. Your idea of leisure is?

A: It keeps
changing. Currently, it is to sit on a
comfortable sofa and read a book with a view of mountains from the window.
Sometimes it is to walk to the top of a cliff and watch the expanse of Earth from
there. Sometimes, it is to watch the sunset on a beach.

Q. What do you do when you are sad?

A: Sleep. That is
the best medicine. It is a time machine that takes you away from the miseries
of the present.

Q. Your
favorite place on earth?

A: I do not have a
single favorite place. The world is too beautiful to number the places. I like
England. It has a beauty that is unmatched. There are beautiful places like the
Lake District and Isle of Wight that will take your breath away. I like the
madness of Paris and the rich experience it offers.

Q. One thing you would like to change about
yourself?

A: I love running
and would like to maintain a fitness routine. Unfortunately,
my work hours and commute does not allow
me the luxury. So, I would like to change my lifestyle a bit to include these
elements that I have always enjoyed.

Q. Wise advice for budding writers…

A: Research,
polish and market well. I am learning the ropes too but these three aspects of
writing are very important. Once you are done with your initial draft, keep
polishing it till you are satisfied with it. Don’t rush it. Give it to your
friends who are avid readers and ask for opinions. Give it to a beta reader.
Keep aside money for marketing. You have no idea how difficult is that going to
be.

Q. A few words for The Readers Cosmos

A: I really hope
that I will find a market for my books and the readers will enjoy them. I enjoy
writing and would continue to write books that are different. I am very
thankful for all the love and appreciation that has come my way for False
Ceilings and I would be eternally thankful for it. Thank you for taking out
time and reading the interview. NV: Thank You Amit for this amazing Q&A session. Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.Amit: The pleasure is all mine.